Lik-sang responds: Sony "marched all over us"

@jamar: Software isnt being targetted. Software is region-free to encourage importing. This is a direct result of an Australian ruling that mod-chips were legal in the sense that software has to be region free. No one has a problem with import software; just hardware. Individual purchases are not being targetted here. Your personal consoles are safe. If you want to set up shop as a retailer of Sony hardware, you need to get approval from Sony and abide by their regulations regarding the sale of their product. This ruling only affects retailers importing/ exporting hardware.

@LK: This case has nothing to do with software. The PSP and PS3 are both region free as far as software is concerned. Sony has actually made it easier to import and play games not released on your native soil.

Yes, Sony still gets paid from the sales of the console, but Sony does lose something out of the deal. If something were to happen to the actual console itself, Sony is responsible. If the power differential shorted out PSPs or PS3s Sony is held accountable to replace the equipment, not the importer. You see how Sony batteries have hurt their bottom line already, imagine the negative PR if they had that form of problem with their launch hardware.

Who cares about this shit ??!! Not me

I think its funny thought people are claiming to boycott sony, when Nintendo and MS sued Liksang and reportedly got more money than Sony is asking for....

Who cares what its for, they got sued by all 3 so you guys should be boycotting all three systems no? It only makes sense right?

Sony, you are so very stupid.
It's as if George Michael would tell the world that he hated gay people.
Messing with your fans will hopefully let your stocks go down even more...

Ok, so people stop getting mixed up, I'll just make this hopefully clear enough that anyone can understand.

Nintendo and Microsoft sued Lik Sang due to mod chips. Sony sued Lik Sang for PSP importing.

Please do not mix up the two, or assume the two are similar.

While they're not similar, a lawsuit is a lawsuit and if they had to pay fees to MS or Nintendo that were even higher than what they had to pay Sony, then i hardly think its fair to blame Sony as the sole reason for "shutting down".
IF Liksang did with sony what they did with MS/Ninty and just STOPPED... well then they wouldnt be in this trouble now would they?

[Sony] fanboys don't seem capable of seeing anything objectively. There were no Hong Kong laws broken. Period. Any counter-argument is dismissed immediately.

Quit showing your preferred brand pride and see the FACTS in this.

re: @LK: This case has nothing to do with software. The PSP and PS3 are both region free as far as software is concerned. Sony has actually made it easier to import and play games not released on your native soil.
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Um, have you tried importing PSP games from play-asia recently if you live in Europe? You can't do it. Sony a long time back stopped them from distributing *all* items with the PSP trademark, that's the consoles, that's the games, that's the official accessories and this is the same thing they wished of Lik-Sang (who obviously refused) and the same thing they want of the PS3. If you think games will be escaping this you're being awfully naive, they want the whole import market gone.

Bertrand - you're probably right, as the feminine form of the name is usually Pascale, not Pascal as above. Still, "usually" is not "always".

Anyhow, I've been in contact with a couple of importers in regards to this case (one of which approached me directly). Not a single one had been contacted by Sony to stop PS3 or PSP importing, despite the fact that they all import to Europe as readily as they import to the US (in fact, the one that contacted me cold lists their prices in both US dollars and British pounds by default).

Video gamers still have plenty of import options, and Sony only targeted one when they could have hit several at once (I truly doubt it would cost Sony much; that's why they pay retainers). It's really time we start looking into why Lik Sang was targeted and not anyone else.

For all the people that do not understand this as an issue. Grey marketing is a huge problem especially in EU. Regions like apac can take advantage of a discount that is region specific and undercut the reseller in that region. THAT IS A BIG LEGAL PROBLEM. That is also a corporate nightamre. Any large coorporation will defend against it.
Now to tie this in.
The ps3 is selling at a huge markdown in japan. Meaning sony takes the bigest finanical hit. They can not aford to let someone profit of that margin.

On a side note: the reason EU is a large target for a lot of gray markeing is because of the strong euro currency.

@J-Lai: "There were no Hong Kong laws broken". It doesn't matter what HK law says, they are trading in Europe, and have to comply with European law. That is a fact. "Any counter-argument is dismissed immediately".

Where the fuck is Chuck Norris when you need him. I so love my USB charge cable for my Micro, and they supplied me.

Sony balony..

I'm pretty shocked at how many comments have been left by Sony fan boys, or at the very least jerk offs who were too stupid to read the whole story. Lik-Sang didn't lose because the law wasn't on their side so much as they forfeited the case because they ran out of time and money to fight Sony Europe, who launched multiple cases against Lik-Sang so they could outspend them. Lik-Sang was buying something that was perfectly legal in one part of the world and mailing it to another part where it was perfectly legal. If you think this is somehow illigeal or immoral you're mentally retarded.

I agree with one of the top commenters who made the comment about wanting to punch these fan boys in the face. They at least need to be grabbed by the shoulders and shaken or maybe have some sense bitch-slapped into them. Everyone who supports this ruling just so they can show support for Sony is pissing on the rights of gamers and consumers everywhere. Can one of you moronic fucks please explain to me why its okay for companies like Sony to let Chinese slaves make their products, why its OK for Wal-Mart to coerce US companies into moving factories to China, yet its somehow illigeal to buy a product from Sony and just fucking mail it to some other part of the world? I thought the world was getting flat, trade was free and this stuff was OK? Anyone who supports this ruling needs to be shot in the gut.

This incident puts international law down a dark path, a path that no real gamer would want. Yet here you assholes are cheering Sony on all the way. Horay for Sony! They crushed a much smaller business using bullying legal tactics! Reading these comments is making me physically ill. Pardon me for a moment so I can go vomit over how stupid some of you are.

one of the key pieces of this that everyone seems to be missing is the talk about conforming to EU power standards.... the power supplies on the exported PSPs was swapped out for one that is certified for use in the EU, not only that they were official Sony DC power adapters. so if sony was concerned about the quality of the exported products, then they have no one to blame but themselves.

now everyone keeps citing EU Law but no one has stated what the law is, what law did they break?

now as a further point i do live in the US which is why i have no familiarity with the EU trade law that they seem to have broken, but i also have to say that the US has had the PSP for 2 years now. what seems right about sony not shipping a product that has CLEARLY been finished? there is only one reason to hold of for two years, marketing games. if they can supply the US without fear of running low, then the EU is no problem.

This is going to come back and bite sony. I see nothing wrong in getting a product earlier if you can. If i could own a PS3 now then wait until november the 17th i would gladly do it. I see nothing wrong with wanting to get something early.